Mysterious Objects Emerge From Paris Canal

The Parisian Canal Saint-Martin is being dredged for the first time in 15 years. The list of objects found so far is both long and bizarre.
The Canal Saint-Martin in the French capital is a popular spot for young, trendy Parisians, known locally as “Bobos”, the English language equivalent of “Bohos” or bohemians. Now known as an attractive location for drinking aperitifs on summer evenings, the canal was originally built with the hope of increasing the city’s drinking water supply after its completion in 1825. However, this large canal requires cleaning every decade or so, and often what is uncovered in the banks of the canal is very unusual.
Spring Cleaning The Saint-Martin
Every 10-15 years the canal is drained and then cleaned. It has now been 15 years since the previous clean. Every time that the canal is dredged, an array of bizarre objects tend to surface, providing Parisians and the media with a good deal of entertainment and bringing crowds of people flocking to the banks of the canal that was made famous by the popular French film, Amélie.
The canal holds 90,000 cubic metres of water, all of which must be drained by workers each time it is due for cleaning. This water is emptied into the River Seine, the best-known river in Paris. The canal is home to tens of thousands of fish, all of which must be moved away before draining. Once the water has been drained, tractors are then used to begin dragging away all of the items at the bottom of the canal in the muddy sludge. This is an expensive process, taking roughly three months to complete.
The

London Drainage Facilities (LDF) has been appointed by The Grosvenor Hotel to maintain and service its core drainage systems for an initial 2 year period after fending off fierce competition from a number of other drainage rivals.
The contract, reviewed annually, will see the company provide its drain maintenance services to one of London’s most iconic hotels and be tasked with the responsibility of looking after the state and condition of all foul and surface water pipework serving all key areas of the hotel including the Kitchen’s and Restaurant and Bar areas.
Danny Fuller, Managing Director of LDF has been instrumental in securing this contract and said: “This has been many months in the making but finally we have been selected to work alongside one of London’s most famous brands revered around not only the UK, but around the world! We get straight to work from February 2016 and it is an exciting opportunity for our Engineer’s to ensure the hotel is kept blockage free and fully operational for the thousands of visitors which walk through its doors on a daily basis”.
Fraser Ruthven, the company’s Head of Marketing & Growth adds: “This award further positions us a leading player in the drainage sector within Central London and the South-East of England. We are steadily building a proven track record of delivering drainage work for a number of high-profile customers in a similar area already including the Four Season’s and St. Pancras Renaissance London Hotel chains, which I am sure helped to highlight us as the best candidate for the job”.
The Grosvenor Hotel is situated right in the heart of Central London and now restored back to its former glory, this Grade II listed building is the favoured choice of many of London’s thousands of tourist visitors each year.